This invention relates to ornamental and protective edge guards such as are applied to the edges of sheet metal members of automotive vehicles, for example swinging closures such as doors, trunk lids, hoods, gasoline fill doors, and other members such as drip rails, bumper edges, etc. The invention relates to both the edge guards themselves and methods of making same.
In an automotive vehicle it is desirable to apply edge guards to the edges of swinging closures so as to protect said edges from damage which might be caused by striking an object present in the path of movement of the edge of the swinging closure. Edge guards also provide ornamental and decorative function in addition to their door edge protective function, and hence, they may also be applied to the edges of sheet metal members other than swinging closures. Moreover, edge guards not only provide protection of the edges of the members on which they are installed but also they may serve the purpose of providing protection to individuals when applied over raw edges.
In general it is undesirable to use separate fasteners, adhesives, or similar procedures in securing edge guards on automobile edges since they involve extra cost of labor and materials. It is also generally undesirable to use strictly non-metallic edge guards such as extruded vinyl edge guards since they do not possess the excellent protective, ornamental, and self-retention characteristics of metallic edge guards.
However, application of a metallic self-retaining edge guard to a door edge has the potential for giving rise to paint scratching and marring which can in turn lead to premature corrosion. Some of applicant's own inventions have addressed the matter of possible paint scratching and marring and have provided solutions. Reference is made to the following patents of applicant:
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Applicant also has pending applications directed to the same general subject.
As disclosed in certain of applicant's prior patents and pending applications, insulating material can be applied to the edge guards to guard against paint scratching and marring; yet the edge guards can still possess the desirable self-retention characteristics of metallic edge guards requiring no external fasteners and/or adhesive. Disclosed in certain of applicant's patents and pending applications are procedures for laminating insulating film to metal to form a laminated structure. The laminated structure is formed into the door edge guard such that the insulating material provides an insulating and sealing barrier between the interior of the edge guard and the edge of the object to which it is applied.
The present invention is directed to further improvements in insulated edge guards of the type comprising a metal edge guard channel to which protective insulation is applied. The invention relates both to the edge guard itself and the method of its manufacture. Although the present disclosure is of specific presently preferred embodiments, principles of the invention may be extended to other embodiments.
The edge guard of the present invention possesses the superior ornamental, protective and self-retention characteristics of applicant's prior insulated edge guards. It also offers the possibility for a variety of adaptations employing basic principles of the invention.
In one respect the invention contemplates an insulated metal edge guard in which the cross section of the metal channel forming the edge guard may be of general U-shape with the construction having a unique arrangement for cooperatively relating the liner and the metal channel. In another respect the present invention contemplates the application of the protective insulation to the metal edge guard through a co-extrusion process. The co-extrusion process may be conducted with single or multiple extruders of any suitable type, a cross head extruder being one such type. Precise control of dimensions of the finished edge guard may be achieved through the use of subsequent cooling and sizing procedures.
It is also possible for the co-extrusion process to be selectively applied in any of a number of possible ways to any of a number of possible metallic channel cross sectional shapes. For example, it is possible to line only the interior or selected portions thereof, only the exterior or selected portions thereof, or both the interior and exterior and/or selective portions thereof in combination.
The invention is particularly disclosed in connection with the application to door edge guards which are applied to the trailing edges of a vehicle's doors.
It is also possible for different types of insulating materials to be used and it is possible to supply selectively different types of insulating materials to an edge guard so that multiple composite layers may result.
The foregoing features, advantages and benefits of the invention, along with additional ones, will be seen in the following description and claims which should be considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The drawings disclose a preferred embodiment of the invention according to the best mode contemplated at the present time in carrying out the invention.